I feel your pain...we transitioned to organic after moving to Hawaii too. We were in Korea before and it wasn't available at the commissary there. I have a hard enough time adjusting to the cost of regular milk...but organic is almost $5 for 2 quarts here (and that is at the commissary, have you priced it on the economy, wow!) Not sure if you belong to Costco but they do have organic milk available there...although not OV...it is almost $9 for 1.5 gallons (3 two quart containers). I get most of our milk there as the price difference is substantial. Just wanted to share :)

I would recommend going through the Ambleside recommendations starting from the beginning...you might not want to spend an entire year on each level, maybe just spend a month or two on each poet/book, but if you follow their recommendations you will be slowly building up to the more challenging poetry...just an idea.

We are following the poetry progression as outlined on Ambleside Online. We are currently reading A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. We read one new poem, and some that we have read previously, every morning. When a particular poem strikes my dd's fancy she will tell me she wants to memorize it, and then she just reads it and practices it several times a day until she gets it. I don't push the memorization and if she didn't ask to memorize I wouldn't force it. I think it is so much more important to develop a love for the art of written words so I don't make it a chore.

Hi Marie, I used Prima Latina this year and really disliked it (we stopped at lesson 20)...I thought it moved too slowly, with too much review, and I didn't feel like there was enough application. I was actually thinking of just stopping Latin for a couple of years and then picking up a more rigorous program when DD was older (she is almost 8 now). I am also considering Latin for Children but I am afraid of spending the money for a program that I think is a waste (which is how I feel about PL...we got nothing out of it!) Just curious what it was that you disliked about Prima Latina?

I have done "Science from the Library" since I started homeschooling last year. My dd is only in 2nd grade currently...I started just letting her pick topics or randomly picking books I thought would interest her. This worked fine but I decided I wanted more structure to finish out our year. I have Books to Build On by E.D. Hirsch which lists suggestions for what to teach in every year with book suggestions. I compiled a list of of topics to cover and made up a book list. I request the books 1 or 2 weeks early so I am sure they will all be in. We pretty much just read the books (sometimes together, sometimes independently) and I have dd narrate once during the week. We are very laid back about science this year (obviously)...next year I plan to use something a bit more structured, but I will continue to use library books to supplement.

Hi Sarah, I pulled my daughter out of first grade last year so I know how you are feeling. I think my biggest challange was finding the "right" math program. I look back now and I can't remember why I was so obsessed with this, but I was :) I finally went with Singapore because of all the great reviews I was hearing. I also believe in teaching to mastery and then moving on...My daughter also hates doing the same problems over and over once she has figured it out! Sometimes we do all the problems in the wkbk and sometimes we just skip to the next section. We have never needed more problems than what is offered in the wkbk. What I like about Singapore is that they have their basic program: Text and Workbook but you can add other components as you see necessary. Extra Practice (I have never used these because I feel like there are plenty of basic problems already in the wkbk) Intensive Practice - we use these...they bring the problems to a higher level Word problems - I have this but I don't think I will get it again next year (Singapore already has word problems built into the workbook...if you need more practice though you might like it) Also I have never used the Home Instructor's Guides (I actually didn't know they existed) but I am going to get them next year because I have been told they are very helpful. I assure you that Singapore is a comprehensive math program, not a supplement! Hopefully something I said was helpful...good luck!

I require reading as part of school everyday...I pick out a bunch of books from the library every week and leave them in a basket for her to choose during her reading time. Also, we have rest time in the afternoon and my dd has to spend 30 minutes reading whatever she chooses...(she ususally spends the whole hour and then some). My daughter has been a pretty willing reader since the beginning but what really made her reading take off was allowing her to read at night. We pretty much let her read as long as she wants at bedtime (in her room of course)...and she often reads for over an hour. If she doesn't want to read then she has to turn of her light and go to bed...

Thanks for this...I just checked it out and it looks like a great site!

I spend a lot of time talking to my oldest about what makes good character...trying your hardest, being a good friend, being truthful even when it means you're going to get into trouble...that kind of thing. It is just an everyday part of our interactions as parent/child. I also point out good character when I see it in her or others and in our reading (like in all of the Little House books!) I believe the most important aspect of character education is my (and my husband's) example...we try to remember that too (but sometimes fall short!)

I am just finishing up my first year...our plan has always been to take it year by year. One of the reasons we decided to homeschool was to maintain some continuity in our children's education. My husband is military and we move every 2 or 3 years. I moves a lot as a child and I definitly feel like my education suffered because of it...I don't want that for my kids. We should be finished with our service in about 5 or 6 years (hopefully!) Really I can't see putting my kids into PS before High School but you never know...

Thanks!

Now I need to go check this out. I don't have a problem with teaching religion (we read the bible as part of school for my 2nd grader although I am not a Christian) but I don't want anything too preachy...it sounds like it could be a good fit. Thanks for asking the question Michelle (and for responding, Jessica)...can't wait to see a review :)

How about E.B. White...Trumpet of the Swan (my favorite), Stuart Little, and, of course, Charlotte's Web The Little House series...I think these are actually very boy friendly, of course I have a 7yo girl so I may not be the best judge Also check out www.amblesideonline.com they have additional reading selections for every year and I use these to find good quality books for my dd to read Not sure how you feel about Harry Potter...but my daughter is devouring these!

I just did that recently with Professor B math. I tried a couple of lessons and realized it wasn't going to work so I sold it used. It was pretty expensive for a couple of lessons but totally worth it in my mind. I have been thinking about trying it for the last year and now I can stop thinking about it :)

Thank you so much for all your help. Sometimes I do ask her "is that really important to the story?" and of course to her it is...but I'm thinking if I asked her "Are you sure you really want to write that all down?" she might be able to get to the point more quickly. I also feel like I shouldn't be interrupting her...but you make me realize that maybe I should let that go :) Thanks again!

This is what I was hoping to hear. I started out with Spelling Workout and quite after two lessons I think (that is how much I disliked it). I like the idea of Natural Speller but it takes a lot of work to implement it effectively. Oh and now I am going to have to check out the other Shoelace books. I used 100 Easy Lessons to teach my daughter to read and loved it so I will most likely use the same for my son. I will eventually need something to teach beginning english (I started through FLL with my dd...it wasn't for us). Thanks for the ringing endorsement and the referal to Shoelace :) It eases my mind!

I thought I had my 3rd grade LA all figured out, but Jessica's post on LA overkill has me thinking about Simply Spelling. I'm thinking this would be a good way to combine copywork/dictation and spelling. I am currently using Natural Speller (just going through lists nothing fancy) and copywork/dictation that I come up with on my own (usually scrambling at the last minute...stressful). So for LA in 3rd, I would be using WT1 and Simply Spelling...it sounds so organized and simple - I am seriously tempted (and of course wondering if it is really enough...but I will always be wondering that!) So my questions...do I just start at the beginning of the program - even if it seems too easy. And does anyone have any opinions (good or bad) about the program?

How true...this is one of the main reasons I took my daughter out of PS in first grade :) I had taught her to read before she started K and she has always been a strong reader but PS does not foster a love of reading (nor does it afford the time to develop). In the past year of HS she has fallen in love with reading...I couldn't be happier!

I didn't mean to suggest that you weren't doing enough (or focusing enough on) reading...I'm just a strong believer in developing strong reading skills (mainly by reading!) before working too much on anything else in LA. It sounds like you are there already. I am seriously tempted to just do WT1 for my LA (still including reading, of course) but I'm afraid to let go of the spelling and dictation... :) Oh and we pretty much took off November and December here too...I feel like we are just getting back into the swing of things!

too and I also struggle with how much is enough. Here is what I am (tentatively) planning for 3rd. 1. I am using WT1 for writing, grammar, and some copywork. I am trying not to stress about grammar at this point. My mind keeps telling me I need to do more grammar but my heart tells me this is enough (I am really trying to listen to my heart). 2. I have decided to stick with Natural Speller...just working through the Third Grade list of words and doing some supplementary vocabulary type work occasionally. I had thought about getting a third grade spelling program but again my heart tells me I don't need one. My daughter is an advanced reader (and she loves to read!) and I've decided this alone will help. 3. I plan to do dictation 1 or 2 times a week, from books that we are reading. I will correct her writing and she will copy the correct model. 4. Lots of reading aloud and assigned reading. I check out a TON of library books, and I have just recently started assigning reading as part of LA (in addition to the free reading my dd does in the afternoon). I pick out 7 or 8 books and let her choose which one she wants to read for the day. I only require that she read them...in other words I don't make her write about them or ask lots of questions (beyond "Was it good?"). When I write it all down like that it seems like a lot but in essence my schedule will look something like this: WT1 - everyday (30 minutes?) Spelling - everyday (10 minutes) Dictation - 2 days (5-10 minutes) Independent Reading - Everyday (30 minutes...her time!) I do worry that I'm not doing enough but she is an excellent reader and I figure at this point that is really enough. If she was still struggling with reading I would focus on that much more (not sure of your situation) I think that is so much more important than all the rest. I totally understand your struggle between too much/too little. I personally would rather err on the side of doing too little at this age. My biggest fear is killing her love of learning. Hopefully something I said was helpful :)

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner? My daughter is in second grade and also an advanced reader (currently finishing the Harry Potter Series). She really enjoys these and they are pretty easy reading. There are also a ton of them...We haven't even made a dent. She also loved The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White (one of my favorites when I was little) How about some of the Beverly Cleary books...my daughter loves the Ramona books. I loved Trixie Belden when I was a kid...I need to get some of those for my dd!

I have been using quotes and proverbs for copywork and simple sentances from children's books for dictation. I don't usually write down the narrations for history because they are so long. I never considered that if my daughter had to write down what she was telling me she would be much more concise. She likes to give me every detail, and I have been trying to figure out how to get her to edit. Wow, that is quite a revelation for me! We will be writing and copying tommorows narration and hopefully she will make the connection quickly :)

This is the first year I have used the Challenging Word Problems (actually haven't started them yet). My level 2 book (one book for a/b) has 24 problems for each topic (same topic order as the text) the first 12 are basic problems and the last 12 are labeled challenging. There is an intensive practice book for each text (2a and 2b intensive practice). These problems require more thinking and reasoning and are often very challenging (I have trouble figuring some of them out!) My daughter enjoys trying to figure them out and I think ,even if I have to show her how to solve them, she is getting something out of it. I think they are great for going beyond the topic but not essential for understanding the basics. Some of the Intensive Practice problems are word problems too. Also, there is an Extra Practice book which apparently is just more basic problems. For my child, there are plenty of basic problems to acheive mastery between the text and the workbook. If you feel like you need more basic problems then I would get this book not Intensive Practice. Next year I will probably skip the Challenging Word problems, but I do like the Intensive practice and will continue with it. Also I just found out about the Instructor Guides and I will be adding those :) Hope that helps!

Thanks, I can't beleive I didn't know about these. I'm adding them to my list for next year. Hopefully they will help me with planning and give me some direction for 3rd grade!

Last year I only used the IP along with the Text/Workbook and I would use it after we completed an entire topic and workbook section. This year I bought the Challenging Word Problems (and haven't used it yet). Once we get a bit deeper into the topics (we are on topic 2 in book 2a still) I plan to add a few word problems in during the week as a supplement to the regular lessons. Does that make sense? Oh, and I do the review section at the end of the topic (in the workbook) after we finish the IP and before we go onto the next topic. I never use the practice questions from the end of topic in the text...but I'm thinking these might make good to use for end of year evaluation. I don't have the HIG, but I'm thinking I will buy it next year...I am always struggling to work out the lesson plans.